


tips and tricks that never work

by bidness



Series: Tumblr Prompts [2]
Category: Shadowhunters (TV)
Genre: Alec Lightwood Deserves Nice Things, Cooking, Cute, Fluffy, I swear, M/M, No Angst, Short One Shot, Silly, Sweet, Tumblr Prompt
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-05-29
Updated: 2020-05-29
Packaged: 2021-03-02 21:00:18
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 607
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24433216
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/bidness/pseuds/bidness
Summary: “Alexander?” Magnus inquires, and Alec stills but doesn’t turn. “Alec, are you okay?”There’s no response, not until Alec sets down the knife in one hand and takes out a small piece of bread from his mouth with the other. Magnus has so many questions.Why is Alexander in the kitchen making dinner, crying?
Relationships: Magnus Bane/Alec Lightwood
Series: Tumblr Prompts [2]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1764376
Comments: 23
Kudos: 154
Collections: Favorite Malec Stories





	tips and tricks that never work

**Author's Note:**

> This came from the [tumblr mini fic prompt:](https://bidnezz.tumblr.com/post/619235949853949952/send-me-a-ship-and-one-of-these-and-ill-write-a) things you said when you were crying

There’s music playing from the crackly speakers of the old radio in the kitchen, something light and upbeat, _Top 40_ , and Magnus curiously makes his way over.

It’s Alec, standing hunched over the countertop, the motion of his hands giving Magnus the perfect view of muscles shifting beneath the thin gray cotton shirt he wears. He should let Alec know he’s there, maybe press a palm under the shirt to the skin beneath and feel the way those muscles work for himself. Alec would let him, would push himself into the touch until he’s backed up into Magnus as he always does.

His hand is in the air, and he’s just a few steps away from Alec when he hears the small sniffle and repetitive muffled _“stupid, stupid, stupid”_ from his nephilim.

“Alexander?” Magnus inquires, and Alec stills but doesn’t turn. “Alec, are you okay?”

There’s no response, not until Alec sets down the knife in one hand and takes out a small piece of bread from his mouth with the other. Magnus has so many questions.

“I was... I was making – uh... dinner,” Alec offers with a shrug, and Magnus reaches a hand out to grasp his shoulder and turn him around.

There are tears, fresh and beaded that fall down his cheeks refusing to stop for Magnus, and the embarrassed furrow that mars Alec’s brows gives no sort of explanation. Slowly, he looks to the countertop where there sits a half-eaten piece of bread, a knife, a cup of water, and a cutting board of chopped onions. “... And dinner is making you cry?”

Alec laughs, unexpectedly bright and cheery against the seemingly bleak situation Magnus finds him in. Quicker than expected, Alec turns to the sink and washes his hands, speaking over the rush of the faucet. “I needed chopped onions for dinner, and I tried all these things I saw online about... how to not make you cry,” he dries his hands on a paper towel and motions to the mess on the countertop with a clean hand. “It didn’t work.”

The amused smile does nothing to hide itself on Magnus’ face, and he steps closer to Alec, closes the small distance between them in easy steps. “You know I can just portal us somewhere, or summon some food for dinner,” he reminds.

Alec shrugs yet again, attempts nonchalance despite the wetness of his lashes and onset of fresh drops that threaten to fall. “I wanted to make you dinner.”

There’s a feeling that catches in Magnus’ throat, love and surprise and happiness, all shoving into the deepest parts of his heart where all of Alec’s honesty seems to take up residence. The pad of his thumb traces along the tear tracks on the cheek in front of him, brushes away the new ones that descend in their escape from those eyes that seem to shine with affection in the dim light of the kitchen.

“Alright,” Magnus says at last. “I’ll help.”

Alec’s about to protest, Magnus can already hear the words on the tip of his tongue, but he’s silenced with the flourish of magic that sparks from Magnus’ fingers. It only takes a second, two seconds, before he’s met with the adorable, infectious smile that lets him know the sting is gone from Alec’s eyes.

Magnus swiftly turns, busies himself with cleaning up onion peels because the way Alec is beaming at him is just too bright for chopping vegetables. This isn’t what he expected to come home to, he didn’t expect a crying Shadowhunter, shy with tears and surprise home-cooked meals, but Alec never fails to make things interesting for him.

**Author's Note:**

> I hate chopping onions, for the record. And not because I don't have Magnus to magic away the pain...
> 
> You can follow my tumblr [here](https://bidnezz.tumblr.com/) and say hi if you want, send me prompts, look at my mediocre art, or if you just want to see a gratuitous amount of Alec Lightwood gifs!
> 
> Leave a kudos/comment if you liked it, I love hearing your guys' thoughts!
> 
> Thank you!


End file.
